Chandidas (1932)
Director: Debaki Bose; Writer: Debaki Kumar Bose, Chandra Mukherjee; Cinematographer: Nitin Bose; Cast: Durgadas Bannerjee, Krishna Chandra Dey, Manoranjan Bhattacharya, Amar Mullick, Chani Dutta, Umasashi, Sunila, Dhirendranath Banerjee
Duration: 01:52:17; Aspect Ratio: 1.310:1; Hue: 59.970; Saturation: 0.015; Lightness: 0.230; Volume: 0.236; Cuts per Minute: 3.330; Words per Minute: 32.672
Summary: This film is about Chandidas, a legendary 15th-C. Bengali Vaishnavite poet whose biography remains obscure but was an influence on the better documented Chaitanya (1486-1533), a school teacher who promoted the Vaishnavite ideology in Bengal, mostly through hymns about the Radha-Krishna legend. The film stressed the poet's teachings through the love story between Chandidas and a low-caste washerwoman, Rami. The conventional villain of the saint film genre, who represents the established order threatened by the outsider's revolutionary influence on common people, is the rapacious upper-caste merchant Bijoynarayan. When Rami rejects his advances, he persuades the high priest to insist that Chandidas must repent or be punished for associating with a low-caste woman. Chandidas agrees to repent but when he sees the injuries Rami has suffered at the hands of the merchant's goons, he rejects institutionalized religion in favor of the higher Vaishnavite call for a more democratic god and leaves the village with Rami.
censor certificate
Censor Certificate;
Certificate no. 12618;
Released by New Theatres Ltd.;
Length of film: 11986 feet;
Date: 7th September 1932;
"Chandidas was considered to be the first Indian film to have used 'background score' (not simply music and songs) for narrative purposes as well as for the production of the melodramatic effect."
'Early Melodramatic Forms and the Subject of Bhakti: Gender, Sexuality and Modes of Subversion'; Mukherjee, Madhuja, 2011
Production Logos
Raga Jhinjhoti.
Sarod, tabla with a heavy bass sound, sitar, xylophone (native version of the same, maybe), violin, flute.
title
New Theatres
The Indiancine.ma Khazana
Camera: NITIN BASU
Sound Recordist: MUKUL BASU
"...the first shot of the film is a lotus in full bloom. The camera then pans to show..."
Keertan.
Cello, violin, harmonium, Hawaiian guitar, khol and tabla for percussion in the interlude of the song; also Sarod, flute used with violin and cello.
"...Rami, busy washing a sari and singing a rather well known kirtan (Radha-Krishna love/devotional song) 'Alapo boyeshe piriti kori...' ('I have loved at a young age'). Shot mostly in midshots and mid-long shots, the takes are long, thereby allowing Rami (Uma Sashi) to complete a musical composition, after which we observe some closer shots. However, this structure is often reworked at the point when an emblematic close-shot of Chandidas (the male protagonist) listening to her, is inserted. Briefly, this sequence introduces the characters and the problem of the film. Moreover, at the very onset of classical narrative cinema, the film both introduces specific formal devices and apparently subverts norms regarding framing, inter-cutting and narration.
For example, as Rami sings she looks straight into the camera and performs the song. Such evocative direct address seems to be more than 'unsystematic deployment' of cinematic tools. Thus hereafter, her look is diverted to 'something' left of frame. Rami then shuts her eyes, sighs, smiles, and resumes her singing with greater enthusiasm. Later, at the point in which she is about to leave the frame that the (first) shot of Chandidas is included. Shot in mid-shot Chandidas is (also) looking left of frame, thereby complicating the relation between the two. Cut to a mid-shot of Rami who is looking at something off-frame and singing in a teasing manner. As well, she turns and swings her body in suggestive ways. After this, she moves towards the ghat and a long shot establishes her physical distance to Chandidas. Cut to closer shot of Rami, looking back at the audience to comment on the situation. Then, Rami returns to the earlier spot, continues washing teh sari and returns her look towards Chandidas. Cut to Chandidas looking away (in embarrassment), moreover, he only returns his gaze when Rami has her back towards him. This pattern of inter-cutting between Rami looking at Chandidas and looking back at teh audience, as well as Chandidas looking at Rami and looking away, continues until Rami takes up more provocative and typically seductive poses to tease the man. Rami continues to perform, sometimes by shutting her eyes, while Chandidas looks away. This moment is intercepted by Kankanmala's entry into the scene, which further complicates the modes of address. Moreover, eventually the reciprocated looking or the circuit of gaze between Chandidas and Rami never is totally complete, since they repeatedly look and then quickly look away.
More important, are the specific gestures of Rami's 'looking back' at the audience, which create fissures within the structure of gaze. Indeed, it also problematizes theoretical conjectures that posit gender and sex as (uncritical) performances. Clearly, Rami performs her 'self', however, it is within the frame of critical distancing. This is further complicated with another pan that reveals while Chandidas is looking at (and 'not-seeing') Rami, they are being watched by her friend (sakhi)/ sister-in-law; additionally, all of them are in actuality being monitored by the King/village-head and therefore by the audience. Indeed, one of the important aspects of 'Chandidas' is the pattern in which, the omniscient-omnipotent (maze of) gaze is interrogated by direct address and by the 'looking back' of Rami."
'Early Melodramatic Forms and the Subject of Bhakti: Gender, Sexuality and Modes of Subversion; Mukherjee, Madhuja, 2011
"The opening song by Rami, a well known Kirtan from Padavali was spoilt by due to improper recording.
Sometimes she was getting out of tune but she cleverly tried to make good the deficiency by display of expressions which was not out of harmony with the situation. She possesses a good voice and her dialogue reproduced clear and distinct on the screen, but so far as music is concerned we cannot expect her to give us high class entertainment since we all know she is an ordinary songstress and is devoid of high musical talent."
--"Music in Chandidas", S.D. Burman, Filmland, November 12, 1932
Cello for the comic effect
"The background-music used to synchronise the action of ‘Kankan’ while she was proceeding towards the ghat was cheap imitation of western tune which certainly we did not expect from a talented musician like Mr. R.C.Boral."
"Music in Chandidas", S.D. Burman, Filmland, November 12, 1932
"She (Kankan) voices obvious social concerns...Rami's honest 'confessions' bereft of the controlling power of the social structures, reduce Kankan's retreat into a comic gesture and the 'standard' background music adds on to it. In effect...Rami problematizes the visual field (controlled by the look and the gaze) from a 'victim' position as she acknowledges that she is being watched and disapprovingly 'performs' for the gaze to disturb the power of the gaze."
'Early Melodramatic Forms and the Subject of Bhakti: Gender, Sexuality and Modes of Subversion; Mukherjee, Madhuja, 2011
Violin and cello
"Indeed, Rami's ways of looking (back), her bodily gestures, smirk and scathing words put all existing models under scrutiny. Her dialogues and her 'hostile' gestures question sexual politics and class-caste systems. She teases Chandidas, and says, "My Lord, did any fish take the bait?" Her look examines him as she glances up and down and tells him 'not to fish', because, 'he does not come to fish' anyway. Chandidas 'confesses' and confirms (through an outstanding 'cinematic' dialogue, as it were) (his love fore Rami)... Here, Rami is deeply conscious of her sexual aspirations and is also aware of the ruptures it produces within the social paradigm. The sensuality of this entire sequence and the feminine as the sexual agency become significant in the context. In fact, a series of notions regarding performing gender, the public and the private/personal as well as the 'ghar' and the 'bahir' are confronted in rather complex fashion in the film. Curiously, the 'ghat' functions as a value-loaded space, which attains import because of its connections with the Radha-Krishna myth. Ghat appears to be a culturally defined private (bathing) space especially for the women, and becomes the domain of the 'people and public' since certain socially repressed aspirations are allowed to be enunciated here. Furthermore, in the context of cinema, such undefined spaces would eventually become cinematically coded romantic spaces, where couples could play out romantic moments outside the controlling gaze of the patriarchal order. In brief the ghat clearly is (like) cinema itself, which produces a liminal space and allows the enunciation of prohibited desires."
'Early Melodramatic Forms and the Subject of Bhakti: Gender, Sexuality and Modes of Subversion; Mukherjee, Madhuja, 2011
proposal
Raga Bhairav.
Pakhawaj and tabla with violin in the background as K.C. Dey sings. Rami sings a keertan in between. Use of khol, violin, flute and khanjini (karta)- the metallic clasping instrument.
Violin and khol. Raga Misra Bilawal and a smattering of Raga Khambaj.
"In a later sequence, Rami and Chandidas's relationship is re-established within temple (and legitimate) premises. In this scene, Rami, who sweeps the temple grounds, wishes to offer her prayers to the 'Lord'. However, she is refused entry into the temple because of her caste and nevertheless, she demands a reason. She continues to argue and says that, "no one can give (or take away) one's right to worship or offer prayers in a temple..." She tells the King that he is "wrong." This enrages the King, who assaults her publicly and throws away her offerings. As the King/societal head holds her tightly, she ironically retorts, "leave me... my hand has been vilified (by your touch)." In effect, Rami also refuses to offer her prayers to the institutionalized God. Eventually, she cries before Chandidas, and tells him that he should throw the offerings into the river. Shot primarily through long-shots, Devaki Bose creates a montage of faces of the common people- of children, men, and women- who shed tears silently. The use of shehnai establishes and 'legitimizes' their 'illicit' relationship within this public domain. A transgressive relationship appears to be acceptable through meaningful uses of emergent devices."
'Early Melodramatic Forms and the Subject of Bhakti: Gender, Sexuality and Modes of Subversion; Mukherjee, Madhuja, 2011
temple
Raga Bhairav with shehnai and nakhada.
Raga Bhairavi. The ringing of the temple bells resonates occassionally.
Raagini Todi
Raga Puriya Dhaneswari from the parent Raga Purvi.
Harmonium, violin and flute
Cello used as Rami sings in high pitch, along with violin and Hawaiian guitar
Violin and tabla
Use of violin
"Rami's (Uma Sashi's) delicate acting, bodily movements, mournful singing, and her eventual 'avisaar' (journey) in her (blue?) finery, juxtaposed with Chandidas' realization that 'mankind is above all' produce a poignant moment in the film. Furthermore, the thoughtful application of music and songs connect contrasting spaces."
'Early Melodramatic Forms and the Subject of Bhakti: Gender, Sexuality and Modes of Subversion; Mukherjee, Madhuja, 2011
"Especially at the point where Rami suffers through the night, the storm signifies her feelings just as the source light illuminates her beautiful face."
'Early Melodramatic Forms and the Subject of Bhakti: Gender, Sexuality and Modes of Subversion; Mukherjee, Madhuja, 2011
"In the ‘storm scene’ the musical accompaniment and the song sung by Rami wonderfully suited the atmosphere. It was highly artistic of Mr. R.C.Boral to put right music at the right place and I congratulate him for conducting the scene."
--Music of Chandidas, S.D. Burman, Filmland, November 12, 1932
Rami's song accompanied by sound of thunder
Use of violin and pakhawaj
Keertan sung by K.C.Dey with changes in beats (Lai)
Raga Ashapuri as Chandidas comes out of his house and walks in a garden.
K.C.Dey starts with another Keertan, doubling the rhythm the “lai”.
Violin, double bass used.
Hawaiian guitar used as Rami lies at the feet of Chandidas.
Raga Bagesri. Use of violin.
K.C.Dey sings “Phire chalo..” based on Raga Malkaus. Flute, violin and pakhawaj.
"Particularly in the last song ("Let us go back to our own place") the full beauty of the pathos was made home to the audience through the proper manipulation of the tune..."
-- 'Music in Chandidas' by Sachin Dev Burman, Filmland, November 12, 1932
"But it pained me when I heard a cheap concert followed Mr. K.C.Dey’s last song (Let us go back’ etc) sung beautifully in Malkos tune. The fine sentiment created by this song was entirely spoilt due to the poor choice of a third class concert."
-- 'Music in Chandidas' by Sachin Dev Burman, Filmland, November 12, 1932
Orchestrated music for the final Keertan as the film ends, with use of violin and khol.
Music annotation by sarodist Anindya Bandopadhyay, recorded at JU Media Lab
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